Cupcakes for Clara

Making something special

At last I can give you an explanation for my prolonged periods of absence - I'm growing my very own fattie!

We are so thrilled and have been waiting until after the big scan to share the news. In only 19 more weeks Tom and me will no longer be a two but will turn into a three. And crikey, it seems like we may have a bit of a monkey on our hands. Our big scan took almost 40 mins because of all the somersaulting, leaping, and general wriggling that was being performed by the very healthy little one inside.

I promise that I will still pay lots of attention to Clara, Macy and making toys. Now that the endless morning sickness months seem to have subsided, I have much more energy to actually create things other than a baby!

But for now maybe a bowl of raspberries and a little rest will do just fine!

Living Creatively

The lovely and most beautiful Living Creatively website has featured Cupcakes for Clara this month in its Creativity Exposed section. I'm so thrilled. It is a really great interview and just looks as perfect as a strawberry ice cream on a hot summers day. Thank you so much to Angela and Carolyn who put in all the hard work and were kind enough to choose to write about yours truly.

Thank you x

Keepsies

Keepsies \keep-see-s\ noun:
Lovely little pouches to keep your most special and precious things in.
-
'Aren't keepsies just marvelous for keeping your most special and precious little things in?'
'Oh yes, I just love keepsies.'

Do you remember all those weeks ago when I showed you this and left you guessing for far too long? Well, they are Keepsies. A new Cupcakes for Clara product. They will quite happily hold your mobile phone, digital camera, ipod, credit cards, money, lipstick, anything special and little.

There is going to be a whole range of keepsies. All handmade from wool felt and delicious printed cottons, with fun little embroidery in the Cupcakes for Clara style. A cute little button holds the flap down, and a cupcake label lets you know just exactly where it's from! They will even extend to larger versions soon, to hold your lovely books or notepads.

They aren't quite ready for selling just yet - I'd like to have quite a few made first - but if you are interested do let me know, and I'll send an advanced newsletter to anyone on the mailing list before they hit the store. If you don't receive newsletters but would like to please e-mail me and you'll be added.

p.s. a few extra pages have been added here and there if you fancy a browse... an about page, questions asked a lot, and other bits and bobs.

The Guardian

A belated but very happy Easter to you all. Of course, after another period of absence (explanation to follow soon), I am back! I can't help but think that if someone were to write a school report on me it would read 'could do better' and 'must spend more time concentrating in class'.

But enough nonsense, instead lets move to far more interesting things...

Did you happen to see the Guardian on Easter Saturday?

Cupcakes for Clara was published in it! In the new kids section called the Comic. A lovely feature on how to make finger puppets. And it was even on the cover...

I am excited beyond all belief! I mean the Guardian! And on Easter weekend too! I couldn't help but wonder how many little kids were making my finger puppets over Easter - it's amazing.

If you didn't see it, you can download the spread from the Guardian website here and then you can make your own little finger friends!

And here's what I'm doing at the moment... well, not right at this very moment because I'm typing right now, but maybe in a few moments, or a few moments after that, or a couple after that, but quite soon at least...

Little bird fatties! A robin and a newly designed sparrow.

The joy of printers

I'm still working on getting a few pop-up Mother's Day cards into the shop in time for actual Mother's Day but my printer is having a strop. I'll try again tomorrow - maybe I'll have forgiven it by then for wasting so many of my Sunday hours, although I can't be certain. Maybe if it makes me some cookies and gives me some 'I'm sorry' daffodils?

Here's a little sneaky peek at something new I'm working on for spring...

Can you guess what it's going to be?

Pop-up, pop-down

I've been working on a little pop-up card for Mother's Day (2nd March in the UK) featuring none other than your favourite mischief maker.

I'm not sure Clara fully understands the concept of Mother's Day!

I'm haven't quite decided what will feature on the front of the card, but I'm thinking maybe printing Clara's dress fabric might work. It's quite spring-y and sweet.

I know that Mother's Day is only a couple of weeks away over here, but I'm thinking of putting a limited edition run of these pop-ups in the shop. Would anyone be interested? Let me know and I'll do my best to get a few in there over the next day or so.

Happy Sunshine Day!

The weather here is beautiful. Frosty in the mornings, sunshiney in the afternoons. Yesterday we actually spent two hours out in the garden - planting bulbs, de-weeding, sprinkling seeds, drinking tea, being visited by my lovely brother. Oh yes, it was splendid. I even had time to browse around the sewing shops.

And time to photograph the much-promised pages from Making Stuff for Kids featuring Cupcakes for Clara work...

You can purchase your copy here or in many many good bookshops. If anyone makes anything I'd love to see how it goes! Good luck!

P.S. Quite a few people have been asking where the lovely fabric is from that I posted about last time. It's from this cute cute etsy shop called Matatabi.

Hmmm...

I'm not doing too well at this blog updating business this year. Everything just gets so busy at the moment that the days become weeks and before you know it all I can manage is my day job making puppets. We're working on a big film and it's taking up a lot of my creative energy. Some days I'm completely asleep before 9pm.

Please accept my apologies for those who are missing their daily dose of Clara and Macy. Believe me, Clara is NOT happy about it! So not happy in fact that she forced me to sit down and pay her some attention. And so she began to spin...

It's just sketching at the moment, but words will intertwine with the picture soon. And maybe a starting point for a new series of cards?

And just so we don't leave Macy out, here she is dressed up as the most Easterly point in Australia.

I made her for Tom for Christmas. The most Easterly point is where we got engaged, and it is a very special place in our hearts.

And look at this cute fabric...

If I can ever get the cogs of my brain to start working (maybe they need a little grease?), I'll be incorporating these lovely materials in some new products. I think Clara may bagsie the 'Sugar Attracts Ants' for her bedroom curtains or maybe a duvet cover.

Got there in the end

Well now... Happy New Year!

Sorry it's been so long since we last spoke. If I may suggest, cast your minds back to this post in which I was hoping for the 30 hour day to have been developed by 2008. Not so. It didn't happen. Nothing. Not even one measly extra hour. And so I'm as busy as ever and behind in almost everything! (huge apologies to e-mailers who have yet to receive a reply from me - sorry!)

However, I did have the most wonderful Christmas and New Year celebrations - very family orientated with lots of silly game playing, film watching and yummy food eating. Oh yes, it really was much fun.

But, how are you all? I had visions of people wondering what might have happened to me, wondering whether to send a 'When Harry Met Sally' style e-mail...

Please let us know if you are okay, are you -
A) Fed up of your blog and feeling very sorry for yourself?
B) Actually desperate to make contact but cannot turn your computer on because you have both of your arms
in plaster?
C) Fed up of your blog but in desperate need of assistance because you're trapped under something heavy?
D) Trapped under something heavy, still loving your blog, but dressed up as a pig and so wish to avoid the embarrassment of someone coming to rescue you?

... but it's okay. Actually it's E) my camera has broken, and I feel my blog will be dull with no pictures to add, I've been working non-stop since the start of the year at my 'day job', and I've had flu - but not whilst trapped under something heavy.

And I forgot to tell you... I'm published! In an actual book, available to purchase in actual book stores. It's very exciting! I was asked way back last summer to contribute to a lovely book called Making Stuff for Kids by Victoria Woodcock, and of course I obliged. And so if you choose to purchase this fine book, you can learn how to make not one but three Cupcakes for Clara goodies. Cute little gift tags, an apron, and a little fattie soft bear.

You can make this little guy!

So hurry out and buy your copy!

Well, I'm off to look for a new digital camera - I'd quite like a sony, my old one lasted five years - does anyone have any suggestions? (And then I can show you more pictures from the book.)

Happy January, hope all the rain isn't making you too sad. If it is - curl up and read a book, watch a Fred and Ginger movie, have a hot cocoa, and stitch your own little fattie bear!

Oh yes, Oh yes!